Till Death Do Us Part
by Darthanne
Summary: Bigotry often rears its head close to home. People fear those who are different, and preconceptions, although potentially destructive, cannot be changed by mere words. (slash)


Till Death Do Us Part (1/1)

by Anne

Rating/Warnings: OK (Oz/Kiwi spelling/grammar etc) – PG13 – angst, romance, SLASH. Warning: This fic contains somewhat ranty opinions on the Catholic Church's opinion on certain matters, in particular the Civil Unions Bill which was recently passed in New Zealand.

Author's notes: This fic is part of the Tears in Heaven series, which can be found here – http: also contains SPOILERS, as I'm writing the series out of order, and refers to other events happening earlier in the timeline in stories both written and unwritten.

Pairings: Kevin/Alex

Summary: Bigotry often rears its head close to home. People fear those who are different, and preconceptions, although potentially destructive, cannot be changed by mere words.

Disclaimer: The Tomorrow People belong to Roger Damon Price, Thames/Tetra and ITV television. I promise to return the characters in one piece, more or less, when I'm finished, but hold no liability for any physical injury or psychological trauma sustained by them in my fiction.

Alex MacDonald belongs to me and shouldn't be used without permission.

Thanks to: The beta reading team – haraamis and Lady Shadowphyre. Also to Misanagi for all her support/encouragement. She doesn't really stalk; it's just an urban myth.

A note on 'Protectors of Humanity': While Jason Rite and I were discussing finer plot points for 'Tears in Heaven', and Jason's epic 'Blindfolds of the Gods', we found that we were both thinking along similar lines regarding the Tomorrow People's earthside nemesis. Jason suggested that I use the name he had already come up with for BoTG. Thanks, Jace.

indicates telepathy

Please send comments to: anneo 2004/

Alex shifted in his seat, trying to find a comfortable spot. Church pews hadn't changed since the last time he'd attended a service with his family and he doubted they would anytime soon. They were probably designed that way to ensure that the congregation didn't fall asleep during the sermons.

His brother Jamie elbowed him, grinning, and Alex stopped wriggling, feeling like a two year old who had been chastised for fidgeting.

He'd been visiting for the weekend, guilted into it by his mother's comments that she never saw him anymore. He had pointed out that he didn't feel exactly welcome these days; her comments about his choice of partner, or rather the sex of his choice of partner, would not be forgotten in a hurry, and he hadn't been in the mood for her lectures. He and Kevin were together, were always going to be together and had been now for some time. It was weird how his parents had accepted that he was a Tomorrow Person without batting an eye but couldn't get their head around the fact that their son was in love with another man.

"If you could remain seated, please." The priest gave a nod to a middle-aged woman who stepped up to the pulpit, carefully unfolded a letter and began to read.

"In regards to the Civil Unions Bill being passed in this country, the Bishops of New Zealand…"

His fidgeting suddenly forgotten, Alex sat bolt upright in his seat as the woman proceeded to explain in detail just what the Catholic Church thought of the bill. With each sentence, he felt his anger grow. "Undermine the sanctity of marriage, my arse," he muttered under his breath. People could stuff up their relationships all by themselves; what others did had no bearing on them whatsoever. "Pack of bigoted, self-righteous…"

Alex, are you okay? Kevin's telepathic voice sounded strained. What's your mother said now?

Nothing, Alex replied. It's okay, Kevin. I'll explain when I get home. He tried to sound sheepish, even though he knew that his lover wouldn't buy it for an instant. Finish up what you're doing, and we'll talk later.

Are you sure you're okay? Kevin could be rather overprotective at times.

Quite sure. Alex was about to raise his shields but paused. Love you, he whispered.

Always. Kevin returned to the project that he was working on, although Alex could still feel him in the corner of his mind. With their bond, he was never truly alone, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Alex!" Jamie hissed at him, and laid a warning hand on his shoulder, before they stood for the final hymn. As much as Alex would have loved to walk out, or even teleport, drawing attention to himself wasn't something he or the other Tomorrow People made a habit of doing, having learnt that one the hard way.

He sighed, ignoring the looks his mother was giving him. His father just shrugged and looked apologetic. Sean MacDonald was a convert and tended to be rather more easy- going about matters concerning the church and its beliefs. Even so, Alex knew that his father had problems with his son's lifestyle. His father wasn't a homophobe, but Alex could feel the uneasiness whenever he and Kevin were together. It was one of the reasons that Alex had decided to visit his family on his own this weekend. Kevin never complained, but Alex knew that whatever vibes he could feel resonating from his parents, Kevin would feel it that much stronger. There were times when Alex was glad that he wasn't an empath like his partner.

Not bothering to even mouth the hymn he'd somehow lost any enthusiasm for singing, he concentrated instead of bringing his temper under control. This wasn't the first time he'd had to listen to this crap, and he doubted it would be the last, but it didn't make it any easier to handle. Luckily, the service was soon over, but instead of the relief Alex was hoping for, he noticed the parish priest making a beeline in his direction.

"Alex, my boy!" Father William greeted him like a long lost friend.

/Probably living in hope that I've come to rejoin his flock/ Alex thought dryly, putting on a false smile. "Nice to see you again, Father," he replied politely.

"It's been a few years, hasn't it?" Father William had never been known for his tact. "Your mother keeps me up to date with the latest news."

Alex nodded, glad that the priest wasn't someone who made a habit of broadcasting his thoughts. He raised his shields a bit further, not being in the mood for discovering exactly what his mother had said about him. "I've moved out of the area," he said eventually. "I don't get home to visit very often."

"Still teaching?" Father William asked. It appeared as though Alex's mother hadn't kept him /that/ up to date. It was probably a good thing.

"Yes," Alex confirmed. He still had another year to go before finishing training college, but Roger Henderson had offered him a permanent relieving position once he finished. Alex couldn't help but grin at the memory. Roger hadn't been phased either by the discovery that Alex was a Tomorrow Person, nor by his and Kevin's relationship. Being locked in a broom closet by Professor Galt, though, had flustered the poor man quite considerably.

"Thank you," Father William took the offered cup of tea, and Mrs. Francis placed another in Alex's hand before he could say no. He had forgotten about the parish custom of a cup of tea and biscuits after the 10.30am mass.

"Nice to see you here, Alex." She nodded her approval, and lowered her voice. "I've asked your mother several times whether you've got a girlfriend hidden somewhere, but she changes the subject on me." Mrs. Francis winked at him, and Alex choked as his tea went down the wrong way. "Nice young man like yourself should have someone special by now surely."

"I have someone special," he muttered, after he had regained his composure. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his mother pause in her conversation with one of her friends and give him a look. He didn't have to be a Tomorrow Person to sense her thoughts.

/Please don't. Not here. Not now./

He ignored her. Stuff these people. Yes, he had known them all his life, but they no longer knew him. He was a stranger, an outsider in more ways than one. He had always felt slightly apart from others through his life; becoming a Tomorrow Person had only served to intensify that. Meeting Kevin, being with Kevin, helped to anchor him, to reassure him that he was still human, that he felt and loved the same way that they did. Except that after he and the others had come so close to being exterminated by the so-called Protectors of Humanity, his self-confidence had been badly shaken. It wasn't something he had admitted to anyone, not even Kevin, but his lover knew that there was something unsettling him, and it was only a matter of time before Alex would have to attempt to explain.

"Don't embarrass the poor boy," Father William winked at Alex. "I'm sure he'll introduce the young lady when he's good and ready." He took a sip of his tea. "You'll have to bring her to mass one morning, Alex. Is she Catholic?"

Alex took a deep breath. The common sense part of his brain was screaming at him not to rock the boat when all he had to say was yes, but he was sick of having to hide who and what he was. It was bad enough having to pretend that his powers didn't exist, but pretending that Kevin didn't exist, that their relationship didn't exist, or covering it with a white lie, wasn't going to happen. At least he could be honest about one part of his life.

"Yes/he/ is, but he's not practising anymore."

The answering silence was deafening, but Alex was past caring. If these people were truly his friends, they would accept him for who he was. If not, well, it might be another few years before he would step inside a church again.

He placed his cup on the table. Although he had just basically outed himself to what was left of his childhood world, he didn't want to meet any of their eyes. "I think I'll head home," he said, somewhat stiffly. "Nice seeing you again, Father. Mrs. Francis."

"Alex…" There was something in the priest's tone that made Alex look up.

"What?" He asked, somewhat irritably.

/He's too young, too naive./ Father William's thoughts were like a slap across the face, although his concerned expression hid them well.

Alex bit down on his lower lip, schooling himself to stay calm. Uncontrolled telekinetic shielding was /not/ something he needed right at this moment. One secret at a time. If they hadn't coped with this one, he doubted they would take favourably to the idea of Tomorrow People living amongst them.

Father William went to place a hand on Alex's shoulder, and he took a step backwards just in case his weird edge power decided to kick in anyway. A priest sent flying across the room by some invisible force would not be something easily explained. "It's okay," Father William said gently. "Alex, would you like another cup of tea?"

"No, thank you." Alex sighed, wishing he were somewhere else. The priest didn't seem to be getting the hint.

"Maybe it would be a good idea if you had a chat with Father, dear." Alex's mother was trying to make the best of the situation, as she always did.

"About what?" Alex shook his head. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but if you're under the impression that I'm too young and naïve to know what I'm doing, you're wrong."

Father William looked up sharply, disbelief echoed across his features.

/Round one to the telepath/ thought Alex, somewhat smugly.

Alex? Kevin's voice was sharp. What's going on?

Nothing. Alex tried to keep his voice 'neutral'. I'm just having a little chat with the parish priest.

Bloody hell. Kevin never had believed him when he'd used that tone, telepathically or otherwise. I'm coming over before you say something we'll both regret.

Alex snorted. I'm perfectly capable of handling this on my own, he protested. You trust me, right?

With my life, Kevin confirmed. But not on this subject, and not when you're angry like this. Don't burn your bridges, Alex. The situation with my parents was different, we were estranged already, and my mother was dying. You were right about that; the air needed to be cleared. Alex felt a sudden sadness wash over him. A part of him had always regretted telling Kevin's mother what he thought of her treatment of her son, especially as it hadn't changed anything. She had told them that she loved Kevin, but that he would still go to hell for his sins. He was a Tomorrow Person and therefore a witch, and now he had chosen to lay with another man. Eternal damnation awaited both of them, but she would pray for their souls. Your parents still accept you even if they don't accept us.

Right. Alex sighed. Kevin could be so very stubborn when he put his mind to something.

"Alex, are you all right, dear?" Mrs. Francis was hovering with another cup of tea. "You look a bit spaced out."

"Umm, what?" Alex cut the telepathic conversation abruptly and shifted his focus. His mother gave him one of /those/ looks, but he ignored her. She would have guessed the reason for his sudden inattentiveness; he had got the lecture about how rude it was to carry on /those/ conversations in company so many times that he had lost count. His mother didn't realise just how difficult it was to ignore the others, and the potential danger in doing so. "I'm fine," he continued somewhat lamely, waiting for whoever had spoken to repeat what had been said.

"How long have you been with this young man of yours?" Father William was frowning. "And how often do you suffer from these lapses of attention?"

"Kevin and I have been together for two and a half years," Alex said in a firm voice. "But we knew each other for two years before we…" He paused, knowing that the word he was going to use would only fuel the fire, but it was the truth, "committed to each other." Tomorrow People mated for life; the sexual act cemented their psychic bond to give them access to each other's memories and each a constant awareness of the other. It was a completeness that was difficult to explain to someone who had not had the privilege of the experience.

"Come now, young man." Father William's tone was rather too patronising for Alex's liking. "You're only young, and it's difficult to know at your age whether a relationship is going to last. I know you'd like to think it will, but things don't always turn out that way." Father Williams paused, his mind running through different ways to explain before continuing. It was lucky for the priest that he no idea that he was broadcasting those thoughts quite so loudly.

The door of the church opened, and Kevin entered. He glanced around, his lips set in a thin line before he plastered on a fake smile. How much of that had he 'heard'? "There you are," Kevin said a little too brightly, walking over to Alex and slipping his arm around the younger man's waist. "I was getting worried."

Alex sighed. Kevin had heard /enough, that was for sure. He leaned into his lover's half embrace, glad that Kevin was there. It was a very good thing that the church was nearly empty. The less audience for this, the better. One day he would learn to extract himself from these situations before Kevin arrived and played overprotective lover. "I told you I was okay," he said, ignoring the telepathic snort that was the reply.

Holding out his free hand to Father William, Kevin gave the priest a brief nod. "I'm Kevin," he said. "Alex's partner."

Father William stared at Kevin's hand for a moment before shaking it. "Nice to meet you, Kevin." He frowned. "You're not a local boy, are you?"

"No," Kevin confirmed. "I'm from England, originally. But we travel a lot." It was the tone he used when he wasn't prepared to pursue a subject any further.

"You're also a few years older than Alex, aren't you, Kevin?"

"There's only three years between us, Father," Kevin said, his voice icily polite. Yes, Kevin had definitely heard more than he should have. But then, Kevin had always had a knack for reading minds. Alex felt Kevin's consciousness brush against his own, and he mentally cringed after sensing the barely contained anger.

"Kevin, please…"

Kevin turned to Alex and brought his fingers up to brush gently across his lover's cheek. When he spoke again, his voice was very calm. "I don't like what you're implying, Father. Alex and I are together because we want to be. Because we /both/ want to be. I knew he was the person I wanted to spend my life with shortly after we met, but I said nothing, did nothing. I waited until he confronted me. Until he acted on /his/ feelings."

"Now then, young man, I wasn't implying any such thing."

"You didn't say as much, but your…" Kevin paused. "Your body language gives away what you think you hide."

"You're very young, Kevin. You both are." Father William shook his head sadly. "I'm sure you think that this is the right thing for you, for both of you, but you have the rest of your lives ahead of you. There's a reason why the church still believes in the sanctity of marriage. Relationships are continuously failing in this day and age; how can you be so sure that yours won't? At least married couples have the blessing and support of the church to help them to stay strong. You're together now, and I'm sure you'd like to think that what you have is strong and will last forever, but you're not married, at least not in the eyes of the church. I wish I could tell you that it doesn't make a difference, but it does. A big difference."

The grip around Alex's waist tightened, and he felt strangely calm. Kevin, what the hell are you doing? Physical contact. Their bond was fueled by physical contact. Kevin was helping Alex to keep his edge power under control, but it was distracting him from dealing with his own anger.

What needs to be done. Kevin didn't lose his temper often but when he did, he couldn't be reasoned with. Alex tried to remove his arm, to put some distance between them, but Kevin only tightened his grasp. Your loss of control would be far too dangerous to explain. Losing my temper is a safer option.

"Those marriage vows you speak of are not any different to the ones Alex and I took when we decided to become a couple." Kevin's voice was low, and although the church wasn't quite empty it was as though there were only the two of them and Father William still remaining. The others were merely observers, watching a scene unfold in which they were extras with no speaking lines. "Till death do us part." He shook his head. "You don't know us. You have no right to judge things you know nothing about. Couples married in your church take their vows with the intention of staying together until they are parted by death, we…." He stopped, giving Alex a sheepish grin. "Just because we didn't marry in a church doesn't mean that we love each other any less, that our commitment is any less serious. We'll be together until one of us dies. That, I know for certain."

For if that bond between them was severed, it meant death for both partners after a short period of time. They had known that before they had made love that first time, and neither of them had regretted their decision. Alex trusted Kevin with his life, and his heart, and he knew his partner did the same. Their powers, and their relationship, came with a high price, but it was very much worth it.

"And what do you think about this, Alex?"

Alex stared for a moment, trying to work out where the hell the priest was going with his line of reasoning, if it could be called that. The man's thoughts were racing ahead of his words, and it was too difficult to attempt to follow both.

Realisation hit with a sudden wave of anger. Kevin's brow furrowed in concentration. "Calm, love. Keep calm."

"I've had enough of keeping bloody calm." Alex shook his head. "How dare you? Just because we're not the same as everyone else does not give you the right to judge us. If a man and a woman came into your church, and one was a few years older than the other, would you automatically presume what you've had the nerve to presume about us?" He waved a hand towards his mother, noticing that she was heading for the door. "No, Mum. Stay here. I want you to hear this too. It's something I should have said a long time ago."

After taking several deep breaths, Alex pulled Kevin close and kissed him soundly. The action would prove his point plus help him keep the control he needed to do this. "I love Kevin. He loves me. Just because we are gay does not make our love any less true. Nor does it mean that our relationship is any less committed than a couple who marries in this church. The very idea that our relationship, if we did decided to marry, could play a part in undermining the so-called sanctity of marriage is a load of crap. People need to take responsibility for their own stuff-ups, rather than blaming those who are different from themselves."

He squeezed Kevin's hand. "We are different, we'll always be different. I can't help who I am, what I am, and I struggle enough with…" Images tumbled over each other, memories of the past few years, and he shoved them to one side, but not before he noticed a look of pain cross Kevin's face.

"But this," Alex continued. "This is something I refuse to be judged on." He glanced around the church and sighed. "I'm sorry, Father, but it needed to be said. Well, I'm not sorry, but I had hoped that what I'd seen elsewhere wouldn't be repeated here. I guess that New Zealand isn't Godszone like it used to be."

Ignoring the people around them, and the thought that he had just burnt all his bridges in one foul swoop, he pulled Kevin behind him and walked out of the church.

His brother Jamie was waiting outside for them and nodding approvingly. "When you lose it, you lose it properly, Alex." He gave them a grin. "Take your boyfriend home and chill out. I'll let you know when Mum's calmed down."

"Yeah, when hell freezes over," Alex groaned. "I didn't really just say all that, did I?"

"Yes, you did." Kevin pulled him close and returned his earlier kiss. "I love you, even though you can't keep a reign on that damn temper of yours." His tone grew serious. "We need to talk." He glanced around, checking automatically if there was anyone around. One day they wouldn't have to watch their backs before they teleported, or used any of their other powers, but that day seemed to be as much of a dream as ridding the world of the bigotry they had just dealt with.

"It's okay," Jamie reassured him. "There's only me out here. Everyone else is inside in a state of shock. Go now while you still can."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Kevin had been watching Alex carefully since they had teleported home. The younger man seemed distracted; his anger had faded, but there was something disturbing him, something he seemed unwilling to discuss.

"I made an idiot of myself this morning," Alex said, looking shamefaced. "Presuming to think I could change someone's way of thinking with a few words." He shook his head. "I grew up in that town, I've known those people all my life. I guess I didn't expect to find that kind of bigotry there. I've always been proud to call myself a Kiwi and thought that we were too laid back to be worried about that kind of thing." He sighed. "If they can't accept I'm gay, how the hell are they going to react about the fact I'm not even hu…" Alex turned away, his face turning pale.

"Don't stop on my account." Kevin put down the cup he was drying, walked over to the table where Alex had been dawdling over his coffee and gave his lover a hug. "This isn't just about what happened this morning, is it?"

"I don't want to talk about it, okay?" Alex pulled away from Kevin's embrace.

"You don't want to, but you need to." Kevin shook his head. "I caught that slip, Alex. You were going to say 'I'm not even human', weren't you?"

"No!" Alex protested, his expression turning almost frantic. "Please, don't push it. I don't want to talk about it. I don't know…" His voice dropped to a whisper. "I don't know how to talk about it."

Kevin placed one hand on Alex's shoulder and forced him to face him.

/Panic, guilt, anger, self-doubt/

"It's all right." Kevin bent and placed a kiss on Alex's forehead. "We should have had this talk months ago." He sighed. "But no, I thought it was better not to push you and that you'd talk to me when the time was right. I'm empathic, Alex, and when you're upset your shielding goes to crap."

"I can't tell you." Alex had that familiar stubborn tone in his voice, but it was also laced with fear.

"Yes, you can." Kevin matched his partner's tone, and they glared at each other for several moments.

"You can be so bloody stubborn and overprotective at times," Alex grumbled. "I worry about that sometimes. One day it's going to get you into trouble, and it will be all my fault."

"One day?" Kevin asked. He knew that he was stubborn, but then, so was Alex, and his partner was even more overprotective than he was, although Alex denied it, of course, so Kevin had given up arguing with him about it. "Alex, it's already got both of us into trouble, and more than once. General Damon seems convinced that Tomorrow People are trouble magnets, and I'm afraid I'm beginning to agree with him."

"Yeah, and so far we've been lucky, but I can't help but wonder how long that luck will hold." Alex sighed, and his shoulders slumped. "All right, I'll try to explain what has been bugging me, but you've got to promise me that you won't take any of this personally. This is my problem, not yours."

"Your problems /are/ my problems, love. We're in this together, or have you forgotten that speech you gave Father William already?"

Alex sounded annoyed. "No, I haven't. I doubt I'll ever forget that bloody speech. I meant every word of it too, but this isn't about that. This is different."

"Right," Kevin pulled up another chair, turned it around so that it was back to front and then sat down. "How is it different?"

"Since I met you, since I became a Tomorrow Person, my world has turned upside down." Alex gave Kevin a nervous smile. "Mostly for the better, but some of the things that have happened, I'd rather forget."

Kevin nodded.

"I've always had self-confidence issues as you know." He sighed. "That's why it took me so long to gain decent control over my powers, that's why my edge power is so unreliable."

"You're safe now, Alex," Kevin reassured him. "Those experiments are in the past. You're safe. Adam's safe. They won't be doing anything like that to you again."

"Yeah well, they don't have to, do they?" Alex snorted. They weren't sure what the exposure to the Barlium had done to him exactly, and what his edge power would have been like otherwise, but Alex always had nightmares each time he used that power. "Whatever they did, it's changed me. I'm supposed to have control over this …thing, and even now, even this morning, you had to help me to stay calm." He brought his fist down onto the table. "They were right, Kevin. They were right, and however hard I try, I can't convince myself otherwise."

"Right about what…exactly?" Kevin felt a coldness creep through him. Although he knew what had happened, there were things Alex hadn't shared. Yes, Kevin could have seen for himself and accessed Alex's memories, but he was afraid that in doing so, he'd make Alex relive those few days. Adam was very tightlipped about what had happened too, and had refused to talk about it, even to Lisa. She had been frantic for her partner, having felt an echo of what Adam was experiencing, and Kevin, in empathically sensing that echo, had been worried about both of them.

After he and Alex had bonded, Alex's edge power had retreated for a while, Kevin's presence anchoring him enough to have limited control over it when it had been needed. However, since Alex's second exposure to the Barlium again in January, that limited control had vanished completely. The younger man had berated himself for not being able to protect Kevin from their would be assassins. Kevin too, had fallen to the TP Kryptonite, as Megabyte referred to it, but Alex had lost consciousness so quickly that it had scared both of them. If it hadn't been for the quick actions of Quatre and Trowa, they both would have died. All of the Tomorrow People would have died.

"When Adam and I were in their custody," Alex swallowed hard; he was shaking. "They kept telling us over and over that they had every right to do whatever they wanted, that they were doing us a favour, putting us out of our misery."

Kevin nodded and squeezed Alex's hand. He had half expected something like this, but hearing it wasn't helping his growing anger. "What else did they say, Alex?"

"That we weren't human and therefore shouldn't expect to be treated as such." Alex's voice lowered to a whisper. "I've always felt different, Kevin. Even growing up I felt different, as though I didn't measure up somehow. It didn't seem to matter how hard I tried, it was as though everyone else could always do everything better than I did."

"We are different," Kevin knew it probably wasn't what Alex needed to hear at present, but it was the truth. "We'll always be different, but…" He gave Alex a stern look." But, that doesn't mean you don't /measure up/. Different is just that, it doesn't mean substandard or …"

"Not human?" Alex finished, somewhat bitterly. He pulled his hand out of Kevin's grasp and closed his eyes. "When I broke out, I was scared, but at the same time I thought I had found the reason for how I'd been feeling all these years." He opened his eyes and managed a shaky smile. "And I also knew that I wasn't alone, that there were others like me. But I was wrong." He shook his head. "God, Kevin. I was so bloody wrong."

"You weren't wrong!" Kevin rolled his eyes. Stop over reacting.

I'm not over reacting! Alex glared at him, then looked shamefaced. "See why I didn't want to talk about it?" he whispered, switching back to speech.

"This is the very reason why we /are/ talking about it," Kevin told him. He sighed, wondering how he was going to get through to his stubborn, somewhat pig-headed lover. "Okay," he said finally, "just how far have you thought this thing through?"

"There's nothing to think through, Kevin." Alex sighed. "I'm an idiot, I can't do anything right, and those guys were telling the truth. I'm not human, and now I'm not even a proper Tomorrow Person." He focused, the air around him began to shimmer briefly, and then it faded to nothing. "I can't even control this bloody thing. What use am I in a crisis? I'm more of a danger to you, to the others, than anything else."

"Bloody hell," Kevin swore aloud. What was it going to take to get it through Alex's thick head that he wasn't as useless as he thought he was?

"See?" Alex said. "Even you think I'm thick."

It took all of Kevin's willpower not to reach across and shake his partner. "Nothing wrong with your telepathy, that's for sure," he muttered.

"Yeah, well," Alex rolled his eyes. "I should be thanking God for small mercies there, shouldn't I?"

"I thought you weren't going to step foot in a church again after today?" Kevin couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at Alex's words.

"It's not God I have a problem with," Alex said, huffily, "it's the church. And besides, today was a separate issue."

"A separate issue which aggravated an existing one." Kevin sighed. "Has it ever occurred to you that if you're going to believe those Protectors of Humanity idiots that you're not human then that means I'm not either?"

"I've already told you," Alex said in an annoyed voice. "You have control over your powers, and I don't." He was shaking again, but Kevin knew that the anger was directed inwards. "I haven't felt right since I was exposed to that stuff, and…"

"Barlium," Kevin interjected helpfully.

"Thank you/Dr./ Wilson, but I'm not /entirely/ stupid." Alex hadn't appreciated the interruption. But then, he usually didn't when he was in this kind of mood. Kevin sighed as several images of previous arguments flashed across his mind, courtesy of his irate partner. Being bonded to someone did have its drawbacks at times. "How the hell am I supposed to protect you when I'm knocked unconscious by the bloody stuff in two seconds flat!"

"I don't know." Kevin felt his own anger rise. "You tell me. After all, you seem to have it all worked out, don't you?"

"Yeah well, if I did we wouldn't be sitting here yelling at each other, would we?" Alex stood. "I don't want to argue with you, Kevin." He closed his eyes and teleported.

Moments later there were several muttered telepathic curses resonating in Kevin's head, and Kevin couldn't help but grin. Stay where you are, he ordered, heading for the linen cupboard to grab a towel. I'll meet you at the ship.

If I stay where I am, I can't meet you at the ship. Alex's reply was somewhat testy. The cold bath in the ocean was doing nothing for his mood.

Just shut up and do as you're told for once, Kevin replied. The towel tucked under his arm, he teleported to the ship, hoping like hell none of the other Tomorrow People were there.

Alex was standing in front of the ship's main console, his arms wrapped around himself, and his teeth chattering. He didn't turn when Kevin materialised, nor did he acknowledge his presence.

"Have you quite finished with the spoilt brat behaviour, or should I come back later?" Kevin threw the towel at Alex, who ignored it and let it fall to the ground behind him.

"Later," Alex said, still looking straight ahead. "I'm not in the mood to talk right now."

"Tough." Kevin decided that he'd had enough. He picked up the towel and started to dry Alex's hair.

"What happened to the come back later?" Alex removed his glasses and attempted to dry them with the tail of his wet shirt. "Damn," he said. "Blind as a fucking bat as well."

"I changed my mind," Kevin said, far more calmly than he felt. "Here, let me." He turned Alex around gently, took the younger man's spectacles in his hand, dried them and then stared at them for a moment before putting them in his own pocket.

"Hey, I need those!" Alex squinted, his face screwing up into a frown. "That's not playing fair, you know."

"Neither were you," Kevin pointed out, continuing to dry Alex's hair with the towel. "Take off your shirt," he said, "you're wet."

Alex fumbled with the buttons, his fingers slipping several times, and he gave a frustrated cry. "See?" he said. "Useless. Totally useless."

"Not useless," Kevin said firmly, pulling Alex into an embrace. He kissed his lover on the forehead, tasting the salt from the sea under his lips. "And very much human. Very much so." He sighed. "I love you, Alex. I don't give a damn what those bloody people did to you, and it will never change how I feel. You're a good man, and that's what counts. So what if you can't always protect the people you care about? Neither can I. Neither can any of us. It doesn't make us any the less who we are." He paused to wipe the water dripping down Alex's cheek. "You've never judged me, or anyone of us. What the hell gives you the right to judge yourself?"

"If I don't judge myself, then who the hell will?" Alex leaned into Kevin's embrace. He sounded totally miserable, and his voice was muffled. "I want to make a difference, but I can't. People don't change, their opinions don't change. The world is never going to accept the Tomorrow People, and maybe we're naïve to think it ever will." He coughed, choking back tears and the seawater he'd inhaled when he'd landed in the ocean. "And every time I lose my temper and my control over that useless edge power, I'm not helping. I'm scared that I'm going to betray us, Kevin. That I'm going to cost you your life, and I couldn't live with myself if I did that." He laughed, but it was full of bitterness. "Till death do us part. Father William has no idea just how true those words are for us."

"No, he hasn't," Kevin agreed. "And he has no idea of who we are, of what we've been through. In judging yourself, Alex, you're no better than those who judge us. None of us are perfect, and if that's the standard you're setting yourself, you're always going to be disappointed. I fell in love with you, a man with faults, lacking in self-confidence, unable to control his powers."

"Don't forget the temper," Alex reminded him, almost sheepishly.

"I'm not likely to," Kevin snorted. "You keep reminding me." He smiled, easing the wet shirt off Alex's shoulders. "You're wet, and I'm getting soaked."

"Sorry." Alex took the towel from Kevin. "I've been an idiot. I've been struggling with this for so long, and I should have talked to you sooner." He began drying his chest. "I didn't know how to explain the not human thing without hurting you. It's just me I have the problem with, not you, and I didn't want you to think otherwise."

"You are not a problem, Alex. Not to me, and not to anyone else." Kevin watched Alex's movements with the towel for a few moments, before forcing his hormones under control. He suspected that his lover had no idea just what that repeated motion back and forth was doing to him. "Whatever happens, we are in this together. You're a part of me, and I of you, now. Bonded, for better, and for worse. Stuck with each other, through whatever happens." He gave up and snatched the towel away, his fingers tracing a pattern over Alex's chest.

"Till death do us part," Alex finished. "For those that God has joined, no man can pull asunder." He sighed, his eyes glazing over. "You really expect what's left of my sanity to function while you're doing that?"

"Hmm," Kevin grinned up at him. "Of course not. Where would be the fun in that?" He kissed Alex, his tongue exploring his lover's mouth. They clung to each other for several minutes, both concentrating on the other's touch, on the way their bodies moulded to each other, their psyches merging into one.

"I need a shower." Alex wrinkled his nose when they pulled apart. "I also need to do some serious grovelling to make up for my behaviour, don't I?"

"Yes, you do." Kevin couldn't help but laugh at the expression that answer evoked. "Let's start with the shower, hmm, and see where that leads us?"

"Oh, I know where that will lead us." Alex smiled, a genuine smile this time. "Thank you, Kevin." For accepting me as I am.

Accept yourself for who you are, the same way you accept me.

Kevin held out his hand, and Alex took it, allowing his lover to lead them both home.

Fin


End file.
